iAm the Stepsister 2: Winning Hearts
by Shadower-Sam
Summary: The sequel to 'iAm the Stepsister'. Sam competes in a pageant in hopes of gaining the king's approval of her and Freddie dating. Meanwhile, Princess Valerie, Freddie's ex-girlfriend, returns for a visit, which makes Sam jealous. Will Seddie continue winning their hearts?
1. iWill Love You Forever And Always

Once upon a time, there lived a girl named Carlerella. After her father remarried a woman, Pam Puckett, she gained two stepsisters named Melanie and Sam. Her father often left the house for work and left Spencer, Carlerella's brother, and Pam in charge of the hosue. However, one day, he died due to an accident and Pam became the new owner of the house.

Spencer was kicked out of the house as he was proven to be an eyesore to Pam, and he died due to hunger. The whole family now depended on the family fortune that Carlerella's father left behind for her and Pam. But Pam and her daughters abused Carlerella, asking her to do all the chores.

Unlike her mother and sister, Sam Puckett is different. She only abused Carlerella because of her mother's instructions. If she did not obey her mother, she would not be provided food. But one day, Sam met a fortune teller who predicted that she would marry a prince. This changed her as she strived to become a better person.

One day, she saved a boy whom she met on the streets. However, she doesn't know that the boy was the prince. Soon after, they were invited to a ball. Although Carlerella and Melanie were very excited, Sam did not show any interest in the ball.

That night, Sam and the prince danced the night away, with Carlerella and Prince Gibson dancing together. Since Sam believed that Carlerella was dancing with the prince but not her, she no longer took what the fortune teller said to heart.

One day, she was introduced to Pete, whom she thought she fell in love with. But she didn't realize that he only dated her for revenge against the prince.

When the prince realized that Sam was in love with someone else, he wanted her to be happy, so he decided to help her. But his help became poison to her heart when Pete reveals the prince's true identity. After seeking his father's help, Prince Fredward decides to apologize to Sam and confess to her about his feelings for her.

Sam reciprocated his feelings and they were together. But crisis is not over yet for Pete and Melanie have hatched a plan to separate them from each other.

Melanie became the evil twin by snatching Prince Fredward away from Sam and pushing Pete towards her. Both people lived in agony each day as they had to see each other with another partner. But one day, Pete and Melanie kidnapped Sam and the prince. Thanks to Melanie and Sam's quick actions and wits, they were saved from being destroyed.

"So, they lived happily ever aft- Wait, the story's not over yet! We've not come to the good part!" Carly exclaimed. "Come on, sit here on my lap and I'll tell you the rest of the story, well, up to this point."

The little brunette boy climbed onto her mother's lap and sat comfortably.

"After the Prince Fredward and Sam were saved from destruction," Carly continued. "The prince decided to introduce the love of his life to his family..."

**Freddie's POV**

"Father," I greeted. "I would like to introduce you to the love of my life, Sam Puckett."

"Sam Puckett?" he examined her closely. "Is she of royalty?"

"Does she have to be?" I asked, rolling my eyes. "Mother wasn't even royalty when you married her!"

He stuck his hand out in front of me while shaking his index finger. "No, no, no, you know nothing of it! Your mother was princess! She was the princess of the people! Everyone respected her!"

"But everyone likes Sam too!" I tried to convince him.

"Your majesty!" a guard barged into the throne room. "There was a woman! She... she almost killed us!"

"I did not!" Sam argued. "You took away my meatloaf!"

Seeing her in the same room as he was, the guard was flustered and decided to take a run for it. "AHH! Get away from me! I promise I won't do that ever again, please don't hurt me!"

"That's enough!" father stood up from his throne. "My dear prince, you will not be allowed to marry a commoner like that! You're of royal blood, so it is natural for you to marry a princess! Guards, remove that girl from my sight!"

"Yes, sir!" they charged towards her, but stopped once her menacing glare froze them in their spots. But they were persistent and followed the king's instructions.

"But, father-" I tried to convince him that Sam was a nice girl.

He had a very angry look on his face. "No buts! I never want you to be seen with a girl like that ever again! And don't even try to convince me about the good in commoners! You will never marry anyone but a princess!"

I ran out of the throne room, trying to stop the guards from taking Sam away from me, but they were persistent in their mission.

"I said, let her go!" I commanded. "That's an order!"

"But sir..." they said.

I gave them the best glare I ever could while Sam struggled under their touch. "That's an order."

"Yes, sir," they released her.

Sam ran over beside me, not holding back from showing her tongue at the guards. She may be violent, aggressive, uneducated and unforgiving, she's a lot of fun. And most of all, she's my girl, she's the one I love.

"So," she said. "Are you going to show me around the palace?"

"Sure," I replied with a smile.

No matter how much father is going to disapprove our relationship, she will always be the one that I love. Forever and always.


	2. iMake Sam Pageant Material

Sam's POV

Ever since I met the king, I have been feeling down. Sure, I don't show it at all, but I really am feeling effects of being spoke of like that.

"Sam," Melanie came into my room. "Are you okay? You've been hiding in your room all day since you paid a visit to the king."

"I'm fine," I replied, sitting up on the bed. "By the way, how're you and Pete going on?"

She blushed. "He asked me out this Saturday."

"Really?" I was happy for my sister. "That's cool."

"Sam, are you sure you're alright?" she asked with so much gentleness in her voice.

"Hey, Mel?" I avoided the question. "How do you act so soft and weak? I mean, isn't it tough trying to restrain yourself from fighting? And how do you even get that gentleness in your voice? Yours is so high-pitched while mine is..."

She smiled. "Don't compare yourself to me like that. I am Melanie Puckett and you are Sam Puckett. Sam Puckett is different from every other girl. That's what makes you unique."

"Ugh," I was sick of hearing those mushy stuff. "That's what everyone says, but you guys don't really mean it, right?"

"We do," she replied as though she was accused and trying to clear her name. "Sam, you're special and you're a dear sister to me. I can't imagine a day when we are separated from each other. One day, when you're married to the prince I will truly miss you."

I froze at the word 'married'. "Mel, I don't think I will be able to marry the prince."

"What are you talking about?" she asked. "Did the prince bully you? Did he fall for another girl? That brat! I'm going to-"

"No, he didn't," I sighed. "It's the king. He doesn't like the fact that I'm a commoner. He expects the prince to marry a princess."

She raised an eyebrow. "But I thought that Queen Marissa was a commoner too."

"Yes, she was," I replied. "But she won a pageant when she was my age and earned the title of 'The People's Princess'."

"You mean the Princess Pageant?" she asked. "That pageant is coming up soon! You should take part in it! You'll go through all the training, win the people's heart and earn the title of 'The People's Princess' too! After that, you will marry the prince and live happily ever af-"

"But who will take care of the chores while I'm gone?" I exclaimed. "Ever since Carly's married Prince Gibson and moved into the palace, I have been in charge of the cleaning because mom said that I was to be blamed for letting her marry a prince."

She smiled. "I will take care of the chores."

"You will?" I looked at her with much doubt. "But you've never done these things before. Besides, your hands are fit for the books and those musical instruments that you play, not for these chores."

"Who says that one can't play music and do chores?" she replied. "Don't underestimate me, dear sister. I am much more capable than you think."

I hugged her in response. "Thanks, Mel."

"You're welcome," she replied. "I'll give Pete a call and find the best image consultants there are in this town! You'll be able to transform into a heart-warming princess! I'm sure of it!"

For once, I was glad I had a sister like that. Sure, she stole my boyfriend from me once, but she brought us back together. Sometimes, I think that she's some kind of guardian angel to me. She seems to have a way with words and make things seem so easy. I wonder how she does that...

**Freddie's POV**

"Your highness," the guard entered my quarters. "Miss Puckett is here to see you."

My gloomy expressions turned into a bright smile as I ran into the throne room to meet my beloved princess. What? Who says you have to be royalty to be a prince or princess?

"Melanie?" I looked at her in disappointment. "Where's Sam?"

"She's gone for a makeover," she replied. "She's taking part in the upcoming pageant."

Instead of snickering, I was really concerned about her. She's not the type who would compete in a pageant, you know? "Why would she take part in the pageant?"

"She wants to earn the title of 'The People's Princess', just like your mother did," she replied. "I'm here to bring you to go see her."

"Why bring me there?" I asked.

She smiled. "She needs your encouragement and motivation."

"Okay..." I replied.

So, she took me to a store in town called the 'Hollywood Smile'. Boy, that store was huge. But, it still can't be compared to the palace, of course.

"Hmm... Where could they be?" she tip-toed while in search of her sister. "Ah! There they are!"

"Where?" I looked in her direction, but I could not see what she was talking about.

"Come along," she pulled my hand towards her direction and dragged me through several racks of clothing. "Well, I'm glad we're in a store or your outfit will surely invite a lot of attention."

I looked down at my clothes. "What's wrong with my clothes?"

"You look like a prince," she replied. "You should be blending in with the commoners, you know? Like the time when we went on a date and you wore some commoner clothes?"

"Oh," I exclaimed. "So, being in a store helps me to blend in?"

"This store sells all sorts of clothes," she explained. "From commoner wear to costumes! While you're wearing this, it seems as though you just changed into a costume."

I nodded in response. "So, should I change into something else?"

"There's no need for that," she replied. "You'll be perfect for our little princess. Oh, here we are!"

She stopped walking suddenly, causing me to lose my balance and almost fall over. "Where? Where's Sam?"

I looked at my surroundings. Nope, no one here looked like Sam. Well, except for Melanie, of course.

"I'm here, nub," a girl who stood in front of me said.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" I asked, still confused.

She punched me in my arm. "Now, do you recognize me?"

"Sam?" I examined her clothing. It was a blue gown, dress thing. I'm not good at this stuff, so it's hard to describe it, but it sure looked good on her. Her hair was tied up into an elegant ponytail that made her look glamorous. It was as if we returned to the night of the ball. "You look... amazing."

She giggled.

"May I have this dance?" I placed my hand in front of her. She took it and we did a little dance. It didn't matter how many people were looking at us. It didn't matter if we were the center of attention. Because right then, I knew that she was the one. And the whole world seemed to brighten up at the touch of her smile.

But happiness can't always live for long.

"Prince Fredward?" a girl called.

"Valerie?" I recognized her.

She smiled. "It's been a long time."

"A long time indeed," I replied. My facial expressions turned from happiness to disappointment. I knew this day was going to come but I didn't know it was coming so soon.

"Do you mind if we have a little talk?" she asked. "In private?"

I turned back to look at Sam who had that worrying expression on her face. I gave her an assuring look and replied, "Sure."

Sam, no matter what happens, I won't let you down.


	3. iMeet Valerie

Freddie's POV

"Valerie, what are you doing here?" I asked again. "I thought you returned to your kingdom years ago?"

"Well, I'm back now and that's all that matters, isn't it?" she avoided my question. "I just want to return to those times when we had fun together and enjoyed each other's company. But I see that you have a new girl by your side now."

"She's my girlfriend," I corrected her. "And her name's Sam."

She smiled at the thought. "To think that I thought we'll be able to be together again once I return from my kingdom. I didn't think you'd break promises so easily."

"I didn't break the promise," I said harshly. "You were trying to use me!"

"I'll admit that I did that and I'm sorry for doing it," she apologized. "But you have to understand that I really like you."

"Well, I don't," I exclaimed. "Ever since I found out your motives for dating me, I had no more feelings left for you. Besides, I have a girlfriend now and I'm happy that she's nothing like you."

She frowned. "How do you know that?"

"What?" I asked.

"How would you know if she's using you or not?" she repeated her question. "You didn't figure it out until Lorence leaked it out."

I looked at her cautiously. "If this is another trick so that you can get me to break up with Sam, it ain't working."

"I'm just concerned, Freddie," she said. "I want you to be safe."

"Like I'm safe with you," I remarked. "You almost had me killed!"

"It was a mistake," she exclaimed. "And it will never happen again. All I want you to know now is that I will always be there for you whenever you need me."

I snickered. "Well, I won't be needing you. I've got everything I need here. What else would I want?"

"Just in case you ever need me," she pulled something out of her sequin-studded purse. "Here's my address. You can always come look for me."

"You live here now?" I asked, reading the words. "What happened to your palace?"

"I'm just living here temporarily. I'm taking part in the upcoming pageant," she exclaimed. "Is your girlfriend taking part in it too?"

I replied. "Yeah."

"Well, wish her luck," she stated. "She's going to need it if she's competing with me."

"I'm confident," I frowned at her comment. "She'll definitely beat you with her hands tied behind her back."

She turned around to look at me, smiling at my statement. Then, she walked away with her guards. What a princess.

I decided to return to the store where Sam would be after the tiring conversation I had with Valerie. I couldn't wait to help my little princess get herself ready for the pageant. Valerie's going down!

"What goes on, people?" I asked. "Where's Princess Puckett?"

"She's changing out of the clothes," Melanie replied. "Who was that, by the way?"

"Who?"

She rolled her eyes. "That girl who called you out just now?"

"Oh, _that_ girl," I said. "Erm, she's... erm..."

"Hey guys," Sam came out from the fitting room. "I'm done. Can we go now? I'm starving! Momma's craving for some meat!"

"Sure," I replied. "Come on, let's go."

Sam stopped in her tracks. I thought she would ask about Valerie, but she just said, "Aren't we going to pay for the dresses first?"

"Oh, we don't have to," I exclaimed. "You see, royals have a special privilege. We get to exit a store with bags of stuff without needing to pay for anything."

"Really?" she asked. "Does that mean that lunch will be free?"

"Yup," I replied. "You can eat as much as you want."

But Melanie mumbled something that I could only decipher as, "If royals can exit a store with bags of stuff without paying for anything, does that mean that girl was a royal too?"

Luckily, no one but me heard her.

"Mmm..." Sam expressed, chewing on her meatloaf. "Quality meat..."

"So, what do you intend to do for the talent component of the pageant?" I asked while slurping on my smoothie. "

"There's a talent component?" she stopped chewing. "But I don't have any talents at all."

Melanie held her hand. "Of course you do. Remember when we were little we used to take dance lessons?"

"I only took those lessons for three days," she replied.

"What happened?" Pete asked.

"I got expelled from the school," she exclaimed.

Pete and I were confused. "Why?"

"She hit the school teacher with an apple," Melanie explained.

"Don't look at me like that," Sam said. "She started touching me all over."

"She was trying to get you to have the right posture," Melanie rolled her eyes.

Sam frowned.

"So, did you learn anything in the three days of lessons?" I asked.

"Well, I did learn this train routine," she replied. "But I forgot most of it."

Melanie smiled. "I'll help you get it right, or we can get Prince Gibson to help us. He's a very good dancer."

"If you insist," she sighed. "But I've got to warn you. I'm no push-over, you know?"

"Of course," Melanie said excitedly.

Just then, Valerie came over to our table. I wonder how she manages to find me.

"Well, who have we here?" she exclaimed. "It's Prince Fredward and his little girlfriend Samantha."

"It's Sam," Sam corrected. "And who are you?"

"I'm Princess Valerie," she introduced. "And I, am Freddie's ex-girlfriend."


	4. iThink of a Plan

Sam's POV

Freddie's ex-girlfriend?

"_This_ girl is your ex-girlfriend?" I laughed. "No wonder you're the ex!"

I may have felt slightly intimidated by her sudden appearance, but Sam Puckett bows down to nobody. I am no pushover, you know? And I'm not going down without a fight.

"Not for long," she said. "I'll see you tomorrow, Freddie..."

He looked at me nervously as he took a gulp in fear. "She's your ex-girlfriend? I thought she was that girl we met at the store?"

"Yeah," he replied. "It's a long story."

"But what does she mean when she said 'not for long'?" I tried to dramatize her sentence by putting air quotations around the words she said. "Are you breaking up with me to return to her side?"

"No," he said firmly. "I would never do that! Besides, the both of us are history. What's important right now is the pageant. How're you gonna win the title of 'The People's Princess' if you don't know ninety percent of the town?"

I looked up at the ceiling, thinking about what Freddie just said. It's true that I don't know many people, but do I really have to learn everything?

"So, let's start with the people in this restaurant. How many people do you know?" he asked.

"Hmm... Let's see..." I scanned the people around me to try and find someone familiar. "There's Princess Valerie and... Bill."

"Bill?" he looked at me doubtfully. "Who's Bill?"

I stood up on my seat and yelled 'Bill' throughout the entire restaurant. Sure, many people looked at me as though I was strange, including that snob of a princess, but almost ten 'Bills' walked toward me and asked if I knew them.

I smiled proudly at my genius and folded my arms, waiting for Freddie's comments.

"That was..." he paused. "Not counted."

"What?" I frowned. "But you told me to name people whom I know."

"These are not people you know," he smirked. "They're just random people whom you called. Exactly how many 'Bills' are there in Seattlonia anyway?"

Melanie calculated using just her fingers and replied, "Seven thousand, four hundred and sixty three."

I stared at her in shock. "How'd you come up with those numbers?"

She shrugged and continued eating.

"Anyway, those 'Bills' don't count as people you know," Freddie took a sip of water while Pete chuckled. "We have to come up with a plan if we want to know the town by the end of the week."

Melanie pulled out a notepad from her purse and started taking down notes.

"Okay," My jaws dropped. "I Did. Not. See that coming."

She smiled in return, along with the smirking Pete. "Maybe we can have an advertisement to make the people vote for Sam as the People's Princess."

"Whoa...whoa...whoa..." I tried to catch what he just said. "The people are voting? Not judges? I thought this was a pageant?"

"The people are the judges, Sam," Freddie tried to explain things to me. "That's why the name 'The _People's_ Princess'?"

"Oh," I nodded in understanding. "Back to the topic."

Melanie stopped writing notes and looked up at us. "I don't think the advertisement idea will work though. The people want a responsible princess, not some kind of snobbish advertisement model."

"True," Pete nodded in agreement.

"Maybe we can go door-to-door in the morning to offer some help to the people and they may see that Sam is a responsible, caring and helpful person, the perfect candidate for the pageant!"

"That's a great idea!" Melanie exclaimed in excitement.

I frowned. "Yeah, if you're trying to work me to death! Besides, those people will never want my help after what happened in the sixth grade."

"What happened in the sixth grade?" Freddie asked.

"Well," I started. "If I tell you, you have to promise not to laugh."

"Okay," he replied, followed by the nodding of Pete.

I took a deep breath before I continued. "I... used to compete in Beauty Pageants."

Then, snickering was heard from beside me. I flicked his ear in discontent while he groaned in pain. "Ow! What was that for?"

"Sam!" Melanie frowned in disagreement.

"He snickered!" I explained.

Pete took a stand. "But I laughed a little too. Why didn't you do the same to me? Just asking."

"He's different," I blushed. "If he's my nub, he should act like one and stop being such a dork."

Freddie whimpered from the pain, but blushed at my words.

"But why wouldn't the people want your help?" Pete continued asking. "You're a beauty pageant girl."

"Well," I continued. "There's this girl named Leann Carter who always beat me in the pageants while I only emerged second. During the pageant that I competed in when I was in the sixth grade, Leann fell on the flight of stairs and I was suspended from pageants ever since."

"You pushed her?" Freddie asked.

I rolled my eyes while Melanie answered. "Leann tripped on her own. But based on Sam's 'malicious behaviour' and the fact that she always emerges second to Leann, they just deduced that she pushed her."

"Oh," Pete and Freddie nodded in understanding.

"But I was only suspended for seven years. After that, I would be able to compete in pageants again," I slurped on my smoothie. "Still, those people didn't believe that I changed. I really did!"

"Oh, my god!" a girl from behind came over to take a closer look at me. "It's Samantha Puckett! Mom!" And she ran out of the restaurant.

I rolled my eyes. "See?"

"So, our main concern now is to get the people to regain their confidence of you," Freddie stated as Melanie wrote everything down as though she were going for a test on it. "Once we get that done, you'll be the People's Princess for sure!"

I placed my hand on my cheek and leaned towards the table, mumbling, "Easy for you to say..."


	5. iBreak Up

Sam's POV

I looked around the streets on both sides before crossing. Melanie and Pete followed behind with a large stack of paper in each of their hands. I took out my purple band which had 'Vote For Me' written on it and tied it around the circumference of my head.

"It's time," I announced in a dramatic way while I walked towards the little stores on that side of the street and started giving out flyers, trying my best to advertise myself. "Hi, the name's Sam. I'm competing in the upcoming pageant and I hope you will support me in my efforts of becoming 'The People's Princess'. Is there any way I can help you?"

The middle-aged woman turned around to face me with a smile. "Oh, sweet dear, you're a beautiful princess indeed. Would you mind cleaning my windows for me? My legs are too weak for this type of work."

"Oh, sure," I smiled in agreement.

"Thank you, my dear," she thanked. "You're such a darling."

I smiled in her praise as I turned to face my sister and her boyfriend. "This is easier than I thought." Then, I started to help with the chores.

"Oh, you missed a spot," Melanie pointed it out to me. "And here too."

"Aren't you guys helping?" I asked.

"It's your job, not ours," Pete replied. "You're the one who's actually participating in the pageant, not us."

I glared at him before continuing with my work. It reminded me so much of the past; how Carly would do the chores and how Melanie would bully her as though she was that mean. It was all mom's idea, but it seemed like it was her dark and evil that brought things to action.

"Done," I placed my hands on my hips before standing up. "How's this?"

The lady came back to into the house to judge my work. "Hmm... You did a great job, young lady. You've earned my support."

I looked at her, then at the couple, and back at her. "Thanks. I put a lot of effort in that."

"I can tell," she nodded. "Now, would you like to stay for some tea?"

"Tempting," I hesitated. "But, no. I can't, I have more people to visit. Thanks for the offer though!"

"You're welcome my dear," she replied. "If there was anything I could do to help you, I would gladly offer my service."

I smiled. "Just tell your family and friends to vote for me as 'The People's Princess'. It would really make my day!"

I couldn't believe that I was talking in such a gentle and demure manner. Ugh... Things are starting to get weird around me...

"Sure, my dear," she said it ever so gingerly. Just like mom never did.

"Bye!" we bade farewell as Melanie made some notes on her checklist. "We'll see you on the pageant!"

As soon as I got out from the house, I wanted to let Freddie know about my achievement. He would be so proud of me! I decided to take the rest of the day off so that I can go to the kingdom and tell Freddie about my day.

"Hey guys," I tried to break the news to them. "You know... I'm kind of tired, so I think we should... you know... take the rest of the day off?"

"You wanna go find Freddie?" Melanie asked.

Sometimes, I wonder how she knows how I'm feeling inside, but I chose to keep silent, for I didn't want my plans to be foiled by the appearance of them. You know, some of us need some private time with their loved ones...

"Oh, I get it," she put on the I-know-what-you're-thinking face and pulled Pete along with her. "Come on, Pete. Let's go."

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"You'll know," she replied, then smiled at me.

I looked at her puzzled at first, then smiled when I knew what was going on. Typical Melanie, always trying to be nice.

When they have gone out of sight, I made my way to the kingdom.

"No," the guard looked at me all stern.

"But I really know the prince!" I tried to explain this time. "See this photo of us?"

"Yeah right," he snickered. "Anyone would know that the photo has been edited! You should try a new trick next time, young lady."

I looked at him, jaws wide at the unbelievable things he said.

"How could I have edited this photo? It's the 19th century! Computers haven't yet been invented, you doof!" I exclaimed. Wait, what are computers anyway?

"Sam?" There was a familiar voice coming from behind the guard, but my view was obscured by the tall build he had. Argh... I'm starting to hate this kingdom. "What are you doing here?"

"Freddie?" I asked.

But he wasn't alone. As I struggled to see behind the guard, a girl appeared to be walking alongside him.

"Who's that?"

"It's you," the girl looked and pointed at me. "You're that girl from the store."

"Oh," I realized who she was. "Hi, Valerie."

She scoffed. "It's _Princess_ Valerie."

"Hi Sam," Freddie tried to break us up before an argument starts. "Let's go somewhere and talk."

"But I thought you wanted to show me the kingdom, Freddie," that spoiled princess whined. "Are you breaking your promise?"

Freddie hates breaking promises, it's like his policy. Whenever he makes a promise, he keeps it. For good.

"Err... I'll come back in a minute," he said. "Just, give me a second."

She smirked and put her arms on her hips. Something was going on between them. I'm sure of it.

"Why is she here?" I asked immediately after we were alone.

"She just came back from her country and wants to take a tour around Seattlonia," he tried to explain. "It's nothing special."

"Nothing special?" I frowned. "If it's nothing special, then why did you lie to me and tell me that you were going to have an important meeting today?"

He sighed. "I admit that I was lying, but I did it because I was afraid you would get mad!"

"What made you think that lying to me would make me feel any better? Do I look like I'm not mad now?" I asked.

"This is getting way out of hand," he said. "Why can't we just-"

"Break up," I completed his sentence for him. "We'll just break up."

He held my hand. "I didn't mean it to be like that. I just wanted to say-"

"That you'll dump me for that princess?" I was tearing up already. "I'm sorry, Prince Fredward. Fat hope. If anyone's getting dumped, that's going to be you. It's over."

"What?" it was his turn to frown. "What do you mean?"

"Let's put it this way," I explained. "Since you're not afraid to lie to me, then you should have known that I would react this way. I am no pushover, Freddie. And it's about time we broke up."

He let out a laugh. "You're breaking up with me because of such a trivial matter?"

"It's not trivial anymore," I turned around, back facing him. "From now on, don't ever appear in front of me again. I don't ever want to see you."

"Sam..." he sounded apologetic, but it wasn't enough to move me.

I just continued walking away, away from the pain. I can't believe I was so excited to see that jerk-face. Ugh! But what's that I'm feeling now? It's like something's piercing through my heart. Like I just laid on a bed of steel needles.

"It never heals," a young boy slightly older than me appeared out of nowhere. "But I can help you."

Suddenly, I feel a whole lot better...


	6. iLost My Girlfriend

Freddie's POV

What just happened? Did we just break up? Did she just run away from me and swear that she never wants to see me again?

"It's okay, Fredward," Valerie came from behind me and placed her hand on my shoulder. "It's going to be fine. She just wants some time to cool down, and then she'll come running back to you again."

"It's not that simple, Valerie," I said. "She thinks that I was going to dump her."

"I understand," she replied. "I saw and heard everything. But it's weird though..."

I turned around and raised an eyebrow. "What's weird?"

"That she wouldn't trust you," she said. "If she really loved you, she would trust you."

I looked at the running figure in the distance. "Should I go after her?"

"Let her be," she said. "We've got more important things in our hands."

**Sam's POV**

His name was Jake. He was nice, funny and good-looking. And he's staring right into my eyes right now.

"You have beautiful eyes, Sam," she says, sipping at his smoothie.

"Thanks," I blushed a little. "And erm... You have a beautiful voice."

"You really think so?" he smiled. "I have been practising. It's really difficult to sing the high notes, but the work really pays off when I get to hear something like that from a beautiful girl like you."

Why is he complimenting me? I'm supposed to be aggressive, vicious, crazy. Why is he complimenting me?

"Thanks for helping my grandmother just now," he smiled.

"Your grandmother?" I was confused.

"The cleaning services," he explained. "You did quite a good job back there."

I realized what he was saying. "Oh, so you live with your grandmother?"

"No," he replied. "I was just going there for a vist. She told me about you and how great a help you were. I guess I followed you here."

"You did?" I suddenly felt a little uncomfortable.

"Don't worry," he smiled again. "I'm not a stalker. I have a job."

I laughed. "You're really funny."

"Thanks," he replied. "You're gorgeous."

"You really know how to make a girl blush," I stated.

"Yeah, I guess I do," he smiled.

**Freddie's POV**

I can't believe we're breaking up. Me and Sam? Breaking up? That just didn't equate.

"Hi Melanie, is Sam at home?" I asked.

"No," she replied shutting the door in my face.

"Come on, Melanie," I begged. "I really need to see her."

She kept quiet.

"I know she's in there. I just want to talk to her about what happened."

"She's really not here," Melanie stated, opening the door. "She went out early in the morning."

"Can I come in to wait for her?" I asked, eyes filled with sincerity. "Please?"

She sighed. "I can't, Sam's gonna kill me if she finds out I let you in."

"I won't tell her," I placed my hands in the air. "If she asks, just tell her that I broke into your house."

"A prince? Breaking into our house?" she laughed. "That's a sight to see."

"Just let me in, will ya?" I begged. "Please...?"

She softened. "Oh, alright..."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I took a seat at their couch. "So, where did Sam go?"

"I'm not sure," she replied. "I heard she was going out with some guy named Jake."

"Jake? Why? How?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. But she was really excited about it though."

"What?"

"She couldn't sleep last night, so she came into my bedroom and told me about how you guys broke up and all that. She swore that if she ever see you again, she would break your bones and make sure you turn into a pile of princely goo," Melanie described with much exaggeration. "You have no idea how much she hated you."

"I know," I sighed. "What else did she say about me?"

She thought about it. "She said that she was very disappointed with you."

"Disappointed? How?" I was confused. "I didn't even do anything. She was the one who initiated the break up. I didn't even agree to it."

"Did you know what she wanted to tell you yesterday?" she took a sip at her tea as I shook my head. "Actually, she wanted to let you know about her accomplishments that day. She wanted you to be the first to know about what she achieved. But you..."

"Oh god..." I exclaimed. "I didn't know..."

She sighed. "I don't think she can accept your apology that easily after that. She was really heartbroken you kn-"

"Hey Melanie! I'm back! I brought a frie-" Sam came barging into the house. "Why is he here?"

"Um... I..." I stuttered. "I came to apologize."

"Apologize?" she snickered. "Well, you're one day too late."

I looked at the boy behind her. Clearly, he was older by a few years, but still, his presence bugged me. "Who's that?"

"Oh, hi, I'm Jake," he introduced himself. "We're just-"

"We're dating," Sam hooked her arm around the new guy, interrupting his introduction.

I frowned. "Since when?"

"Yesterday," she stated.

My blood was boiling by then. How could she date someone else immediately after we break up? It's just, unfair and unreasonable.

"Sam, we need to talk," Melanie dragged her by the shoulder into the kitchen while my glaring game with Jake started.

"So... you're her new toy, eh?" I asked. "Not bad for a china doll."

"And you're not bad for a nutcracker," he rebutted. "I heard you're a prince. What brings you here to this measly apartment?"

My eyebrows dug deeper into my skin. "Firstly, it's none of your business where I go. Secondly, Sam's my girlfriend. Lay off!"

He chuckled. "Last time I heard her talk about you, she said you were just yesterday's news. And _I_ am the one in the headlines. You should be the one keeping your hands to yourself."

I punched him in the face. There, right in his nose.

"What was that for?" he held on to his bleeding nose.

"For stealing my girlfriend," I stated. "She's mine."

With that, I left the apartment. But I know that this is just the beginning...


	7. iAm Engaged

Freddie's POV

"I'm home," I yelled into the seemingly empty castle. The halls were not lit, even though the sun had already started to set.

I searched the walls for a light switch, hoping to find my way through the castle to my dad so that I could get some 'advice'. As soon as the lights were switched on, my attention was caught by a distant laughter.

"This is good news!" I could hear my father's laughter from the hallway. The doors to the room were slightly open and the light from inside creeped out onto the floor. The guards were not stationed outside the room, so I figured that whatever news my father had, it was really important. "Fetch my son right away! He will be overjoyed to hear of this!"

Whoa, that sounded like huge news. I decided to enter the throne room to listen to whatever he had to say. It better be good... "I'm home, dad."

"Oh! My dear prince!" he exclaimed. "You're just in time to hear some good news!"

I scanned the room. The guards were stationed at the sides of the king, the red carpet was rolled out and my best friend Gibby was sitting on the smaller throne-like couch beside my father, with Princess Carly leaning against him blissfully. Then, my eyes fell on a certain someone.

Princess Valerie.

She stood there in front of my father, with her lady-in-waiting directly behind her and two of her country's best guards by her side. She had a smile on her face as I walked down the carpet.

"What's up, dad?" I asked.

The advisor, seated on my father's right, had a look of disdain which flashed across his face as he tried to lecture me. "You do not speak to the king in this manner, your highness!"

I flashed him a glare, then continued with my journey down the carpet. Boy, this carpet sure is long.

"Fredward!" my father was not the least interested in the mannerisms and stuff. He was the happy-go-lucky type. "You're engaged!"

"What?" I stopped in my tracks the moment he mentioned the word 'engaged'. "To who?"

"Princess Valerie, of course!" he replied.

My world came crashing down. "What? Why?"

"As you know, Princess Valerie will be taking part in the upcoming pageant," my father stated. "But that's just the other reason why she's here."

"Then what's the main reason?" I asked.

"Our kingdoms are to be merged together," he replied. "There is a new enemy for our kingdom. His name is Lord Nevel and he has given us threats that we simply can't ignore. In order to ensure that our kingdom is strong enough to prevent any losses in case of war, Princess Valerie's country will merge with ours and we shall form allies to defeat Lord Nevel."

I rolled my eyes. "Why must I marry her? I mean, can't we just become allies just like this?"

"Well, sure, we can become allies without tying any knots, but..." he frowned. This is getting serious. "You two are going to get married."

This time, it was my turn to get angry. "I don't want to marry Valerie! The one I love is Sam! Not Valerie!"

"Exactly!" he stood up from his throne. "I want you to forget about that Samantha Puckett girl."

"Not going to happen," I rebutted.

Carly looked at me, then back at my father, as though she was worried about us. "Err... King Benedict... I think we should let Freddie decide who he wants to be with-"

"Prince Fredward," he interrupted Carly. "You're marrying Princess Valerie in one month's time. No further discussions."

With that, he left the room.

"One month's time, huh," Valerie approached me. "That's on the night of the 'People's Princess' pageant. I guess I won't be able to take part in the competition. I'm sure we can't even go and be a spectator, can we?"

"I'll marry Sam," I glared at her. "No matter what happens."

"Oh, we'll see," she smirked, leaving the room.

Carly climbed down the stairs from the elevated platform where she sat. "Don't worry, Freddie. I'm sure we'll find a way to get you out of this."

"My father's been known for his stubborn personality," I replied. "Once he makes a decision, nothing will change his mind."

"What about Queen Marissa?" she grinned. "I'm sure that she'll be glad to help."

"Yeah," Gibby came down the flight of stairs too. "Remember that time when she came back and brought Spencer with her? I've been afraid of the ballroom ever since that incident. But I don't mind helping out."

We laughed. "Thanks Gib," I said.

"No problem, what are friends for?" he said, more of a statement than a question.

"But there's still one more problem though," I looked at Carly.

She raised her eyebrow. "What?"

"Sam."


	8. iTry to Escape

Sam's POV

She paced up and down the room, trying to think of a solution. It was serious chizz and she can't just let the worst happen.

"It's next month!" Carly screamed into my ear. "Aren't you worried?"

"Why should I be?" I let out a laugh. "It doesn't matter anymore whether I win or lose."

"Yes it matters!" she exclaimed. "Because Freddie's..."

She stopped talking and turned away. "What's wrong with Freddie?"

"Nothing," she lied. "Did I mention Freddie? I meant Gibby... Yeah, Gibby..."

"No, I heard you say 'Freddie'," I frowned.

"It must have been your imagination," she laughed nervously. "Well, I should go now..."

I stopped her. "Wait, spill it."

She sighed. "Oh, alright."

I looked at her intensely.

"Freddie's getting married," she blurted it out. "He's marrying Princess Valerie on the night of the pageant."

"What? Why?" I asked. "We just broke up! How can he just marry some other girl like that?"

"He didn't have a choice," she replied. "The king forced him to. Apparently, you didn't leave much of a good impression on the old man."

I sat down, "I'm guessing he never liked me anyway."

"But Sam, we've got to do something to get him out of this situation," she exclaimed.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa... We?" I asked. "What has this got to do with me?"

"Hello, he's your boyfriend," she said.

I scoffed. "Correction. _Ex_-boyfriend."

"Oh, come on. You know you still love him."

"I no longer bear any affections for his princely highness," I explained. "Ever since we broke up, I had a feeling that they'd get together soon after, but I just never expected it to be _this_ soon."

"Okay, even if he's no longer your boyfriend, he's still our friend. We've got to find a way to help him," she stated.

I rolled my eyes. "Okay..."

Freddie's POV

This is bad. This is really bad.

"Get away from me! I don't want to get married!" I yelled across the room as I ran away from the royal wedding planner.

"But, your highness!" he chased after me with his measuring tape.

"No means no!" I yelled back. "I am never going to marry someone whom I don't love!"

He panted and slowed down. "But the king-"

"I don't care what the king says! He may be my father, but this is a personal thing, he can't just control me when he wants to."

"Freddie-poo..." to my horror, the 'great' Princess burst into the room with her wedding gown. "How are wedding preparations going?"

"Firstly, never _ever_ call me that again," I commanded, signalling for the wedding planner to leave. "Secondly, I will never marry you, so don't even think about it!"

She made this face that said 'Oh-I'm-so-hurt', but it didn't fool me.

"I'm going to find a way out of this, I swear!" I frowned.

"I'm sure you wouldn't be able to," she smirked, then snapped her fingers, signalling to her maids to fetch what she wanted.

A maid came running in with a cushion in her palms. She bowed towards the Princess as she took the bottle of pink liquid which was resting on the pillow. She then proceeded to spray it throughout the room, which caused me to cough a little.

"What's that?" I asked. "It smells like..."

"Rose petals," she replied. "It's a serum made from rose petals. Isn't it fragrant?"

"No," I frowned even deeper. "It's making my nose itchy. I'm out of here."

She stopped and headed for the door, shutting it and locking it. "You're not getting away from me this time."

We were alone in the room. Only the two of us. And she had this really sinister look on her face. Now, I'm scared.

"You know, there's another ingredient in this rose serum. It's a drop of blood from a bleeding heart," she said, smirking. "And when combined together with the rose petals, it becomes something so powerful that almost nothing can fight it."

"So?" I asked, trying hard not to sound afraid.

"So..." she continued. "It's a love potion."

My eyes widened at the sound of that. Love potion? I thought that didn't exist!

"As long as two people inhale the potion for at least fifteen minutes, the potion will take effect," she grinned. "And they will fall madly in love with each other. Forever."

Forever...

No, I can't let this happen. I've got to escape before it has any effect on me. Throughout the conversation, five minutes have already passed. Just ten more minutes and I'll be doomed for eternity. Someone help me, please!

I headed for the door at full speed and tried to unlock it. But it was of no use. The door has been locked from the outside too!

"You can't make me fall in love with you!" I yelled. "Your potion will never work!"

"Oh really?" she approached. "Would you like to try it?"

As soon as I realized the doors would not budge, I aimed for the windows.

"Come on, come on," I tried to unlock them. And then, it struck me. The windows were locked to ensure that the royal window cleaners would have a safe ledge to climb on to. In other words, there was no escape.

"Ooh... Fourteen minutes have passed," she eyed her watch. "Now, there's only 10 seconds left."

10...

9...

8...

7...

6...

"In 5... 4... 3... 2..."


	9. iAm Hurt

Sam's POV

I feel really happy whenever I'm with Jake. I mean, he gives me a bag of bacon everyday, he helps me clean the house (what, I told him not to do it, but he insisted...) and he feeds me. But it just doesn't feel right. Somehow, my conscience is bugging me. Sure, my conscience has been hibernating since I was born, so it's really big news that it has awoken.

"Sam, hurry up!" Carly yelled through the house. Ever since she knew that I was taking part in the pageant, she took a month off her 'princess duties' to help. "Come on, we're going to be late!"

"Ugh..." I groaned. "I'm coming!"

I actually cancelled my date with Jake for this. It better be good or she's going to offer me a lifetime supply of ham as compensation.

"Why do I have to wake up so early anyway? Can't we just go there in the afternoon or something?" I asked.

"It's 2pm in the afternoon!" she exclaimed. "And I can't believe you just woke up!"

"Sometimes I wonder if you've been replaced with an imposter. You do know my habits, I assumed."

She rolled her eyes. "Let's just go."

She led me to the horse carriage outside the courtyard, which reminded me of a familiar tale called 'Cinderella', when the protagonist is offered a ride to the palace ball by her fairy godmother. Clearly, I am not the protagonist and Carly is definitely not a fairy. Thank god for that or I would have to wear glass slippers.

"Okay, when we reach there, just tell Freddie you're sorry and you want to get back together with him, okay?" she instructed.

"What? That wasn't part of the deal!" I exclaimed.

She placed her arms on her hips. "Oh, come on, Sam. Just do it!"

"No!" I declined. "The deal was that I go to the palace with you, and we trash the ugly princess on her butt so that she and Freducinni will never get married."

"Okay, forget about the deal!" she whispered loudly, which I thought was not possible until she actually did it. "Just go and tell him that you want him back."

"No way," I frowned. "It's either follow the deal or no deal."

She sighed. "Fine. We'll go in and get rid of the princess."

"That's more like it."

- SEDDIE -

So, here we are in front of the 'oh-so-magnificent' palace. I could get used to a scene like this. Yup, I'm used to it.

"Finally!" I yelled into the fresh afternoon air, which smelled something close the scent of bacon and fries. "We're here! If the horses could get any slower, it would have taken us days to reach here."

"Sam, it barely took half an hour," Carly stated.

"Yeah, and to think I could have used that half an hour for a proper date with Jake."

I stepped out of the carriage, feeling the rush of excitement that filled me as I harbored thoughts of actually pounding a princess.

"Now, Sam," Carly started. "We only start the violence when we reach her room. We wouldn't want any guards complaining about you in the palace to the king, would we?"

"You sound like my mother," I said, yawning. "Come on, let's go!"

I pulled her up the palace stairs, but her dress was not helping in any way. The skirt was too long and her tiara was about to fall from her almost perfect hair. I once asked her why she wouldn't dress like a commoner after she becomes a princess. All she replied to me was 'Sometimes, a girl's gotta get pretty'.

"Where's the princess's quarters?" I asked the palace guards.

"I am sorry, but I am not allowed to reveal any information about this to outsiders," the guard replied nonchalantly.

I gestured to the royal highness beside me. "Does _she _look like she's an outsider? Hmhmm?"

He actually looked scared for a moment there. "Apologies, your highness. The princess's quarters are at the west wing. I wish you a good day, your highness. And, your friend too."

"Thank you... er..." she stared at the guard's name tag. "Hugh. It is greatly appreciated."

"Okay, okay, let's get on with it!" I dragged her away impatiently. If I get this done early, maybe I will make it for dinner with Jake.

And so, with a couple of directions from the guards, we finally arrived in front of a gigantic door with ribbons surrounding the door frame. "Whoa... Do you get doors as big as these when you're in the palace?"

"Well, Gibby and mine is slightly larger by a few inches, I guess," she shrugged.

"It sure makes me jealous, Carls. It sure does..." I remarked. "Okay, time for the action. Are you ready?"

"Sure, I am, why-" she was interrupted by my actions.

With a powerful kick at the door, we gained access to the room. And guess what. What an awful sight it was.

"Freddie? Valerie?" Carly asked, trying to confirm their identities. "What are you guys doing?"

I was speechless. Utterly speechless. It was like a 1000-ton mass had fallen above my head and made me dumbstruck.

Freddie and Valerie. Making out?

"What's going on?" Carly inquired further, as they pulled apart from embarrassment.

"Erm... nothing," Freddie seemed guilty, but firm.

"Is this supposed to be a joke?" I was really disgusted. "What's going on in here? I thought you didn't want to marry her?"

Freddie frowned. "Why would you think so?"

"I don't know, because CARLY TOLD ME SO?" I yelled. "I can't believe I actually cancelled my date with Jake just to see you guys smooching here! What are you guys gonna do next, huh? Bring forth the wedding to tomorrow?"

"Actually, I was going to suggest that, but he insisted on having it one month later," Valerie stated. "But now that I've got proof of his love to me, I'm not afraid of having it at a later date."

"Freddie, is that true?" Carly asked, with hope in her eyes that he would say no.

He had a firm expression on his face. "Yes."

"What? But you were the one who told me to get help from Sam so that you'll-" she was interrupted by the dork.

"I changed my mind," he stated. "I got over Sam and fell in love with Valerie. Sometimes, the only way to get over someone is to fall for someone else."

"I don't get it," I approached. "What made you think you can just tell me that you want me back one minute ago, and the next instant, you fall for another girl. Who do you think you are, Freddison?"

He smirked. "And who do _you_ think you are?"

I was dumbfounded by his question. Fredgeek Benson retaliating me? With verbal assault?

"You always thought that you were high and mighty, but you're not! After we broke up, I realized how stupid I was to cling onto you and not let go. You're abrasive, aggressive, hot-tempered and worst of all, you have a huge appetite that not even the royal funds can feed! You're not worth my time, commoner."

It hurt. With every single word he said. It was as if the words had transformed into arrows and were piercing through my soul, poking holes so bring that my heart was visible. And I felt naked.

Fredward Benson was lecturing me. No, Fredcrud would never do something like that. He wouldn't even dare break my heart. Why would he rip it off my chest and step on it like it's just a sheet of paper? Why did his attitude change 180 degrees? Why is he acting like this?

And then it struck me. This _thing_ was not Freddie Benson.


	10. iBelieve in You

Sam's POV

I gave him a tight slap. Five bucks on his cheek.

"You're not worth it either," I narrowed my eyes. "Come on, Carls. Let's get out of here."

Carly was reluctant, but I managed to drag her out with me anyway. "Sam! We can't just leave things like this! We have to get back in there and trash things out! If he was playing with your feelings, I swear, I'm going to-"

"Carly, don't you get it?" I asked. "That's not Benson we're dealing with. He must be under some spell or something to be acting like this."

"You mean Valerie put a spell on him? But how?" she was practically freaking out.

"Oh, come on," I exclaimed. "If Spencer came back to visit even after he was dead, how is it not possible that Fredpus is under a spell!"

She calmed down. "Oh."

"Now, we've got to find a cure, or at least something that can break the spell," I said as we walked down the hallway. "Where are we going to find help?"

"Maybe Queen Marissa can help!" Carly grinned.

"But how do we find her?" I asked.

She smiled. "I know just the place!"

Freddie's POV

Where... am I? What is this place? Why am I here?

I looked around at my surroundings. I was in a room which seemed somewhat like the galaxy. There were windows everywhere, and I could clearly see through them. That's a baby... that's the royal lion which I once rode on... And that's Sam.

Wait, Sam?

"SAM! Can you hear me?" I yelled. But she didn't seem to respond at all. Then, I took a closer look. Those are my memories!

"What's going on?" I asked. They were scattered all around the room. I looked down at my feet. There wasn't a floor. I started to feel scared, that I would make a wrong move and end up in some random place in the galaxy. "Hello? Is there anyone there?"

I heard a loud yawn. "Hey! Who woke me up in the middle of my slumber?"

"Thank goodness someone's here!" I heaved a sigh of relief. "Can you tell me where I am and how I ended up here?"

The person whom the voice belonged to started turning visible and approached me. "Who are you? I don't even know you."

"Err... Okay..." I said awkwardly. "I guess you're not that much of a big help after all."

"What do you mean by that?" he seemed a little offended. "I am Spencer the Great! Keeper of the galaxy's most wanted prisoners of love! And who are you?"

"I am Prince Fredward of Seattlonia," I replied. "And what do you mean by 'prisoners of love'?"

He smiled. "Whoever gets imprisoned by the love potion or any other love charms and spells, he or she will be sent here."

"So, I ingested a love potion?" I asked.

"No, you didn't really ingest it," he let out a laugh. "You just breathed in the love essence for more than fifteen minutes. There's more than one way where you can be affected by a spell, you know? Here, a book that I wrote. I compiled more than 300 types of love potions. I even included a few recipes!"

I received the book. "'A Hundred and One Reasons Things You Can Do When You're Bored'?"

"Oops, sorry, wrong book." He handed me another one.

"'Three Hundred Times The Romance' by Spencer Shay... Wait, aren't you Carly's brother?" I asked.

He seemed shocked at my discovery. "How'd you know her?"

"Hello... she married my best pal, Prince Gibby," I explained. "You were there during the masquerade ball, right? It was an epic entrance you made then!"

"Well, thank you," he laughed. "So, since you're Carly's friend, I think I can help you a little."

"Really?" I asked, eyes filled with hope.

He frowned. "No."

I was confused. "But I thought you said that you would help me?"

"Sorry, kiddo. No can do. This place works like a one-way mirror. You can see what's on the outside, but the people outside can't see you."

"Isn't that supposed to be the other way round for a mirror?" I asked.

"You're messing the point!" he exclaimed. "Whoever comes in here, can never go out! Unless if someone from the outside world saves him!"

I smiled. "That's easy! We'll just tell them what they have to do and in no time, I'll be out of here!"

He let out a laugh. "Sorry, simpleton. One-way mirror, remember?"

"Aww... man!" I gave a defeated sigh. "I'm never gonna get out of here!"

"Well, since you're never leaving this place, we better make ourselves comfortable," he grinned.

I raised my eyebrow. "How?"

"Here's some popcorn," he sat down on a couch that just appeared out of nowhere. "Come on, let's watch Galaxy Wars!"

"How'd you... How'd you do that?" I asked.

"Hello... keeper of the galaxy's most wanted criminals of love?" he laughed. "Of course I'd know a few spells here and there!"

I kept the confused look on my face. "Right..."

Now, I just have to wait till Sam comes and gets me. I know she'll make it here. I believe in her.


	11. iAm in Self Denial

Sam's POV

"A magic mirror? Really?" I asked. Carly just smiled proudly. "What are you gonna do next? Name your children Hansel and Gretel?"

"Actually, I was thinking that I'll name the girls over the Disney Princesses and the boys over the Princes," she replied, oblivious to my sarcasm.

"Okay, let's get on with this," I directed the conversation back on track.

She raised her hands and performed something like a spell. "Mirror, mirror on the floor, show me the Queen, the enchantress I call!"

The mirror's reflective surface warped into something like a whirlpool and soon, a figure was seen. It wasn't very clear, but it was good enough for us.

"Queen Marissa?" I called. "Is that you?"

"What do you wish to know, my dear?" she asked. "Ask away."

"Queen Marissa, Freddie is under some kind of spell and we need your help!" I started.

She thought for a while. "What symptoms does he exhibit?"

"We're not sure, but he seems to be really aggressive and firm," Carly explained.

"Are there any physical features that you noticed?" she asked. "Like, the color of his eyes or any marks on his body?"

"Hmm..." we thought for a while. "Oh yeah, he had this little heart-shaped mark on the back of his left hand."

Carly looked at me, confused, "How'd you know that?"

"It was obvious," I stated. "Did you see the way he held Valerie?"

She grinned. "You're jealous."

"No, I'm not," I argued.

"You are _so _jealous," she repeated, adding a 'so' for emphasis.

I rolled my eyes. "So, what does that mean?"

"Is this the shape on the back of his hand?" the Queen emerged again and waved her hands, making an image appear on the mirror.

I studied the image carefully and brought my thoughts back, trying to match things up. "Yes! That's the one!"

"Oh dear," the image disappeared, replaced by the silhouette of the Queen. "This is terrible."

"What's terrible?" Carly asked, anxious.

"Fredward has been struck by the most powerful of all love potions," she continued. "And the effects of the potion is almost irreversible!"

Carly and I gasped.

"So, there's still hope?" I asked.

"Yes, but the chances of him returning back to normal isn't very high," she sighed. "It takes a powerful mage to break it. And among the people of Seattlonia, only two people can do it."

"And who are they?" Carly inquired.

The Queen kept silent.

"Come on, Ms B," I grew impatient. "Just tell us already!"

"Sam, you don't talk to the Queen like this!" Carly lectured.

"It's okay, Carly," the Queen said. "I was just lost in thought."

I raised my eyebrows. "What were you thinking about?"

"When I was younger, I was struck with the same love potion," she replied. "I never would have thought that my dear Freddie would be struck with the same one too."

"What happened?" Carly asked.

"While I was still enchantress, I met a man named Lewbert," she started her story. "He was sweet at first, but I was too engrossed with my enchantress duties that I never thought of him in a romantic way at all. He tried to grab my attention whenever he had the chance and one day, I found myself in a dimensional void."

I looked at Carly, concerned. "Do you think Freddie could be trapped in that void too?"

"I think he may be," Carly replied. "If he is, we have to save him!"

"So, what happened after that? You broke free from the spell, right?" I asked.

She said. "Hardly. I was saved by the light element."

"Me?" I confirmed.

"Not really," she replied. "It was the previous light element. He realized that I was in danger, so he cast a spell on me. Do you still have the book of Prehistoric Prophecies?"

I thought about it. "I think so. Why?"

"There's a barrier spell in there," she continued. "You can try it on Fredward, if you want. But it requires a bit of ingredients."

"Sure, why not?" Carly smiled. "Anything for a friend."

"Good, you best be on your way," she rushed. "We don't have much time left. If I remember correctly, when I was in the dimensional void, I could see my memories being scattered throughout space. But day after day, the memories start disappearing. You only have about four weeks left before the spell is totally irreversible and he can no longer remember anything about the past."

We nodded as we headed back to our house to find the book. It had almost been a year since I read that book. And I think I misplaced it somewhere...

"Now, where is it?" I mumbled as we searched the entire house, every nook and cranny. Mom was out with her new boyfriend to catch a show and Melanie went out with Pete for dinner, so the place was quiet and the only ones at home were Carly and I. "Why can't I find it?"

"Sam, I searched the living room and I can't find it," Carly said. "I'll search in Melanie's room."

"Okay," I continued with the treasure hunt, until I came across a leathery surface. "Wait, I found it!"

Carly came bursting into the room, excited.

"Now..." I opened the book and tried to find the correct spell. "Here. Love potion magic: How to break the spell. It says here that we need to conduct a ritual."

"What kind of ritual?" she asked.

"Some kind of counter-spell," I replied as I continued reading. "'The subject has to be placed into a magic circle, as shown in Illustration 23.9, where the spell of ancients will be chanted backwards.'"

I flipped the book to the contents page, searching for the spell of ancients.

"Okay, the spell of ancients," I said. "Wait a second, the words don't even make sense! They're like, jumbled up together or something."

Carly snatched the book away from me. "Let me see. Yeah, you're right."

"Maybe we're supposed to read it this way," I replied.

"I don't know," she stated. "Perhaps we can ask Pete about it. He managed to activate one of the spells in the book when he captured you. Maybe he knows how to activate the spell of ancients."

I looked at the words, studying them. "Let's split up."

"What?"

"I mean, one of us goes to find Pete, while the other finds the ingredients for the spell," I explained. "You see, there's still this small part about the spell... 'During the ritual, a cauldron will be prepared where a lock of hair from a tiger (for nobility), two spiders (for courage), two Palladium blades (for strength) and a drop of a lion cub's tears (for innocence).'"

"Oh, okay," she replied. "Then I'll go look for the ingredients. You stay here and find out more about the spell-casting."

I stopped her before she left. "No, I'll go look for the ingredients. You're a princess now, Carly. If you leave the kingdom for too long, there will be many royal duties left unattended. No matter how important this is, you still have take responsibility for your duties."

"Wow," she exclaimed. "I'm impressed."

"Of my charismatic speech abilities?" I asked.

"No, I'm just surprised that you know what 'responsibility' means," she replied.

I rolled my eyes. "Haha. Very funny."

"Okay then, I guess I'll see you soon," she said, tearing up. "You have to take good care of yourself, okay?"

"Don't worry, Carls," I replied. "I'm gonna be fine."

"I know you'll be."

We gave each other a deep hug and she left to return to the palace. She brought the book along with her so she could decipher the text while I took down the ingredients that I had to collect on a piece of paper so I wouldn't forget.

"Come on, Sam," I started to motivate myself. "You know you can do it. Freddie will be waiting for you to save him. But he's just another friend. Not my boyfriend. He's the damsel in distress. Just the damsel in distress."


	12. iWent Into a Desert

Sam's POV

It's been two days since I left the borders of Seattlonia. Two days since any sign of human activity. Two days since I had any quality meat.

"Argh... I'm starving..." I lamented. "Why did I volunteer to do this anyway?"

I remembered that an old man on the edge of the kingdom told me about the Tigress Desert just a few miles away from Seattlonia. His son was temporarily living in the deserts, so he might be able to help me. But now, all I really need is a good piece of meat. Barbequed... Roasted... Fried... Wait, what's that sweet aroma? It smells like... fried chicken!

"Who's there?" a voice came out of no where. "What are you doing here in the middle of the Great Tigress Desert?"

"The name's Sam Puckett," I introduced myself, trying to be formal. "I come from Seattlonia."

"Seattlonia?" he seemed to know something. "Oh, that kingdom place! Why would you want to live there anyway when you can live in the Tigress Desert?"

I raised my eyebrow. "The Tigress Desert? This is the Tigress Desert? You mean I can find tigers here?"

"No," he smiled. "But you sure can find lots of tiger's mane here!"

"Tiger's mane? Tigers don't have manes!" I laughed. This guy sure has gotten his animal facts wrong. "Only lions have manes!"

"And that's where you're wrong, young lady!" he went behind his tent and came back with a bucket of orange stuff. "_This _is the tiger's mane!"

I looked at the orange gooey substance in the bucket. They looked like strands of hair, except they are gooey and sticky. Did I mention that they also looked disgusting? "What?"

"The Tigress Desert is full of these! They can be sold for a high price at the kingdoms nearby!" he exclaimed.

"Who would want to buy this type of stuff?" I asked.

"You would be surprised!" he grinned. "The tiger's mane can be used for all types of things! Especially spell-casting! It's really popular in-"

I sighed. "Do you have any food that I can eat? I'm starving..."

He rolled his eyes at my rude interruption. "Fine, fine. Come in." As he motioned me into his tent, apparently distracted by my 'hunger', I took the chance to grab a handful of that tiger's mane thing. I wasn't sure whether this would be enough for the spell, but it's definitely better than having to find some sort of tiger and trying to get a bunch of its hair.

"There isn't much in my home, so you'll have to make do with this," he brought out a platter of fudge.

"Fudge?" I asked. "Don't you have any fried chicken or something?"

"What gave you that idea?" he laughed. I knew that I was following the scent of fried chicken all along, but it led me to this place. Surely, he had some chicken hidden behind his tent. "Besides, this fudge is the only thing you can cook up in this sort of place. My great grandmother gave me a special recipe which would prevent the fudge from melting in this hot desert."

I glared. "I could smell fried chicken a mile away. Where did you hide that chicken?"

"You must have been hallucinating. The desert heat can produce all sorts of hallucinations, especially your greatest desires..." he smiled.

"You're a nerd, aren't you?" I frowned at his knowledge of mirages.

He shrugged.

I sighed, giving up. "Never mind. I'll better be heading back to the kingdom now. I promised my best friend that I'll be returning back to the kingdom by tomorrow. I should be starting on my journey for now, before it gets really late."

"I'm actually heading back to Seattlonia too," he smiled. "This is actually my temporary home. You see, I live with my great grandmother and my grand parents. They're living in Seattlonia now and it's about time that I return home too. They're going to be so proud of my tiger's manes."

I smiled in all the awkwardness. Why is he telling me all this?

"By the way, we haven't made a proper introduction yet, have we?" he held out his hand. "My name is Brad."

I shook his hand in friendliness. "I'm Sam."

"Wait, you're Sam?" he asked. "You're the one who's competing for the People's Princess pageant, aren't you?"

"How did you know that?" I was curious. He had been living in the desert and I only started my campaign a week ago.

"I've been keeping in contact with my cousin and he's been telling me about how you helped our grandmother with the window cleaning." he replied.

Throughout the campaign, I had only helped one old lady with cleaning windows. And that's also Jake's grandmother. "You're Jake's cousin?"

"You know my cousin too?" he laughed.

"He's my boyfriend," I replied. "I didn't know you guys were cousins."

"Yeah, not many people know about that either." He smiled. "Since you're Jake's girlfriend, I've gotta warn you first."

I raised my eyebrow. "Warn me? About what?"

"Jake has a little habit of boasting about his talents," he explained. "While most of them may be true, one thing that you should never trust him about is his vocal talent. Never _ever _let him sing for you, unless if you want to damage your own hearing."

"Oh-kay..." I smiled in response. "Thanks for letting me know about that."

He packed up his stuff in less than two minutes. "No problem. I guess we should be moving on then?"

"Yeah... sure," I picked up my backpack from where I left it at the entrance of the tent. I had left Jake back at Seattlonia, without telling him about what I was doing. Carly had assured me that she would take care of Jake for me, so I didn't really have to worry about him and I could focus on gathering the ingredients for the potion.

I didn't want Jake to misunderstand anything. I had already gotten over his highness, so I was ready to focus on Jake for now. But now that something has happened to Fredpus, I can't possibly just leave him alone, right?

Like I said, it was all just to save a damsel in distress. And also, to destroy that ridiculous face of a princess!

**A/N: Hi guys, I'm not really back from hiatus, but I'm just randomly updating whenever I get the chance to. Since I was taking a break from studying this morning, I decided to type a whole new chapter of this for you guys. I won't be able to update regularly and all, but I'm going to try. Thanks for your support!**


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